Never Too Clever (Foxface)
by Astra Fairoza x
Summary: They said she was too clever... they were wrong. There was so much more to her than anyone ever knew. This is a story of the character known as 'Foxface' from the hunger games and how the story played out in her ever so intelligent eyes.
1. Epilogue

I woke earlier than probably anyone else in District 5. The air was cold as I slipped silently outside the front door, but I did not care. The stars and moon still glittered up above me in the sky as I left my house and walked out behind all the other ones.

Every year, on this day, I'd come out here and climb up to the tallest tree. Here, hidden amongst all the other ones, I was at peace. It calmed the way my hands kept shaking and my heart was beating so abnormally fast. I was scared, yet not for myself. I had Finch to care for.

A noise from beneath me at the bottom of the tree alerted my senses and I tensed, readying myself incase there was any threat I would have to deal with.

"Ember... Is that you?" A voice I knew all too well called up.

Relaxing instantly I called back down to her and watched as Finch climbed up a little unsteadily towards me.

I reached down my hand and helped pull her up. It wasn't that hard given her weight these days.

My sister settled down next to me on the high branch and sat close to me for warmth and we fell into silence, lost in our thoughts.

"I'm glad it's me and not you..." Finch murmured suddenly, obviously thinking about the same thing I had for the past two weeks.

"Don't be. I'd do anything to be in your place, Fin. It should be me. I wish so bad it was," I rested my hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes seriously, wanting to be calm for her sake.

Inside I still felt like crying knowing that in a few months she would not be with me anymore. I wanted to help her like as kids I'd always done. Even after reading every single book we had on plants and seeking out the ingredients in the little forest we had, I found nothing to cure her sickness. Finch and me needed each other to survive. We were as close as sisters to get, her being my mirror image. Losing her would be losing everything.

I closed my eyes tightly to stop the tears from coming and when I opened them again I saw Finch's own staring with sadness into mine.

"You've always been stronger, smarter and so much more talented than me... I've always looked up to you. You were the one meant to live, Em. You have to stay," she whispered taking my hand as I stared out over district 5, lingering on the fence that separated us from freedom.

"No I'm not... Not without you. I'm nothing without you. This isn't supposed to end like this. You can't leave me," I met her eyes again and hugged her back as she pulled me into a tight embrace.

My tears were absorbed into the fabric of her worn cotton shirt and she stroked my hair and whispered in my ear, "There's nothing you can do."

"I'm so sorry..." I whispered, shaking in her arms, as was she in mine.

"Ember, if anything happens to one of us today, I love you," she broke the silence, her words soft.

"Love you too. Besides, I would never let anything happen to you, you mean to much to me," we smiled weakly at each other and spent a few more minutes under the stars before climbing back down the tree to the ground.

A call of a bird rang out into the forest and was answered by another, signaling the hours of darkness slowly retreating. The stars were disappearing and we treasured what could be our last moments in the district we called home then began to leave.

The green grass was soft under our feet as we walked close to each other back to the house; making the most of the few hours of sleep that remained until the moment I had nightmares about.

**The reaping.**


	2. Readying For A possible Outcome

I refused to try hard at looking nice for the Capitol who as far as I could remember made everyone's lives hell apart from their own. It's true that my district wasn't anything like the lower districts but it didn't mean that they'd been exactly good to us either.

My hate had begun no surprise when they cut off my mothers tongue for attempting to interfere with the punishment of a five year old little boy for bumping into a peacekeeper. However they had not taken her away straight away, leaving her with a limited amount of time to spend with us that Finch and I had no idea about. She avoided people for two years (maybe hoping they'd forgotten?) and stayed at home until one day the peacekeepers just came around and dragged her out by the hair, thrashing as trying to yell.

It had been six years since I last saw her. Lucky enough however, one of the hunger games mentors for our district comes around a often to tell me how she's been after seeing her whilst mentoring the new tributes each year and traveling to other districts on the train for festivals and tours.

"Well," I began sarcastically, "at least if I'm chosen I'll get to see her again."

Across the room I saw Finch giving me a strange look, "what?"

I shook my head and went back to plaiting the parts either side of my hair and tying them at the back, letting the rest of my red hair fall freely just past my shoulders.

I secured them with clamp-like accessory my mother gave to me that she called an alligator clip. Silver flowers embedded with gemstones decorated it beautifully and I almost always wore it. Finch wore her matching one in her hair too with the exception of sapphire gems instead of emerald. The end was sharp and I was careful to avoid scratching myself.

Finch and I disliked wearing dresses so we wore matching blouses that were nice enough for the occasion and flowing to our thighs where we wore tight-like pants that went to our ankles. The material was thin and black and went nicely with the matching black sandals.

"Why are you so pretty?" Finch smiled at me from the other side of the room.

I walked over laughing and flicked her, "because you are silly."

"You girls are crazy," my father smiled from where he leant against the doorframe.

I saw Finch's mouth open to reply when we were unpleasantly interrupted.

"Attention people of District 5. The reaping will commence in 10 minutes. All citizens who do not leave their residence now will suffer the consequences," A low voice echoed throughout the house and I felt my blood turn cold as all the happiness from a moment ago left me.

I barely had the time to reach for the locket engraved with a fox that held a picture of my mother, father and sister and the only one we had.

"Come on," my father gave us a grimace and we followed him reluctantly out the door.


	3. The Only Thing Worse

We were spilt up and I stayed behind Finch in the line as they pricked her finger and checked her off. As usual a bit of trouble happened when it was my turn.

"Miss we already have you checked off," the mean looking man looked up at me with his grey eyes.

"This happens every year. I have the same DNA as my twin so she gets marked as me because I'm alphabetically higher than her. Look her up its Finch Markison," there were a few muttered complainants from behind me as people began to get restless, so he gave me a hard stare before giving me a nod of approval.

I left and took my place by Finch's side. Being twins we were in the same age group which was a plus for us, having all of our other friends unfortunately in a level above or below us.

Suddenly a movement on the balcony of the decorated Justice Building in front of us drew our attention as a colourful figure walked out one of the grand dark wooden doors accompanied by the mayor on one side and District 5's list of living victors on the other.

They took their seats and waited one minute for the area to fall into silence before the mayor, who was the complete opposite to the monstrosity beside him, rose up to his full astonishing 6.5 feet of height and walked to where a microphone stood adjusted for him specially to make his speech.

I basically tune out for the whole boring speech actually mouthing all the words just to make Finch relax a little. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing and purposely made sure to avoid my face afterwards incase she would interrupt the Mayor with her giggles.

Vaguely I can hear him reading out names from the piece of paper listing all the victors he holds in his hands, the crowd clapping quietly as each one is called. Appreciation and something else unknown to my brain sparks in me as Felexis Rellkun is called.

Felexis and I spent almost all our time together as kids and even though no one else could he told me apart easily from Finch. My sister used to tease me about it and say that one day I'd get married to him. I'd always say it was her that he wanted, and every time she just laughed and called me ignorant. That was of course until he was reaped a few years ago and fought in the hunger games. On the day he was chosen I had gone to visit him in the justice building and had cried on his shoulder making him promise to never stop trying and come back home. Two months later I found myself throwing myself into his arms as I opened my door and found him standing there. I'd still to this day never been able to forget how much he meant to be.

He did not get time to visit much but when he did we'd talk for hours.

I found my eyes settling on him now and our gazes met. I smiled at him and blushed as he winked.

Finch had just pinched me when a short overweight woman, well known as Patricia Petite, clops up to take the mayors place.

Her name itself gets me every time. Petite. Ha. There are many words that could be used to describe Patricia but petite sure was not one of them. Maybe the context pudgy and slightly horrifying would do a better job.

I frown at her bizarre purple and yellow spotted tight dress, a bright blue hat sitting carefully on her light pink fuzzy hair. 'Wig,' I correct myself in my mind, raising an eyebrow at her thin green ones.

Patricia is so short that the mayor steps back up to move the microphone down almost a meter for her so it reaches her bright red lips.

Her high pitched accent has me tempted to go up and pull the cord out from the microphone so I try to concentrate on something else as she goes on and on about her happiness at being in this district and blah blah blah.

I feel sick at her excitement. Thousands of people, the whole of District 5, were lined up either side of me (excluding the ones too sick to make it), and I could not help but be aware of the emotions of everyone in the crowd.

Fear was the strongest. I heard it, saw it, smelt it, tasted it and felt it myself. It made the air hard to breathe and left a lingering taste on my tongue of the way our old rusted spoons did. Metallic. Like blood and the decaying smell of bodies dying in the streets of the poorer people of our district. Wrong. The pure terror on the faces of everyone around me and the loud sobs of young children surrounded me. Fear was like everything in the world was out to get you. No one in District 5 could escape it. Except for Patricia of course, who was quite happily beaming down at everyone.

I get the feeling someone is watching me and turn my head to the side, meeting Finch's amber gaze. Desperation is lingering in her eyes and I take her hand, frightened myself and feeling nervous from the claustrophobic feeling of all the negative emotions around me. Slowly I felt myself become more and more worried, gripping Finch's hand so tightly that I was almost crushing the bones in her hand.

"Rufus Furow," Patricia called and I gripped Finch's hand a little tighter, biting my lip.

"Come on up you lucky young man!" she chirps and I watch as a boy I didn't know with dark hair and skin a few tones down from mine, walks shaking up the stairs and beside Patricia.

Somewhere in the crowd I hear a mother sobbing for her child.

"Now the ladies turn!" she claps with delight and reaches into a bowl with 13 slips of paper my name and 4 having Finch's.

I had not needed the tessarae... But their were others who did and were too old or young to sign up for it. I would never let Finch do it after the one time I found out she did and panicked. Never again had I let her.

A slip of paper was drawn and things slowed down as Patricia opened it up, her lips shaping the words I had never wanted to hear from her. The only thing worse then my own name even.

As Finch's hand slipped out of mine and I stood frozen for a few seconds, the name read over and over in my mind as she walked the stairs.

Finch Markison... Finch... Fin...

"No..." I whispered shaking from my head to toe as panic took over my body.

Tears were beginning to fall down my face and I saw Felexis staring in horror as Finch arrived at the balcony, just a few feet in front of him.

He met my eyes and I could see he was just in as much shock as I was, he was whispering something under his breath to himself. I could hear my father some distance away from me calling her name in desperation.

Yet there was nothing I could do, and as they shook hands and as one last final 'Happy Hunger Games' was chirped from Patricia, peacekeepers herded them off through the doors in the justice building away from my sight. I could not rid the imprint of the look Finch cast over her shoulder at me as her eyes desperately sought mine, a single tear rolling down her cheek before she put her head down.

The rest of the crowd began to drain out of the area but I stood there, slowly falling down to my knees. At some point I was aware of my fathers arms wrapping around me and holding me to his chest as I shook.


	4. A Rule Discreetly Broken

My father had gone in before me through the door I now waited behind and come out through another one a couple of meters away. He didn't get to even say a word to me because the peacekeepers opened the door and shoved me in, muttering 3 minutes under their breath. I stumbled into the room and ran towards where Finch sat shivering on a scarlett couch.

"Finch," I murmured, throwing my arms around her and holding her like I would never let her go. For what was about to happen I might not get a chance to see her ever again so I wanted to make the most of my few minutes left with her.

"I'm sorry so much... I should have just volunteered," I whispered in her ear, chin on her shoulder.

"No! Don't even say that!" she withdrew from my embrace and shook me by my shoulders.

I shook my head in disagreement and continued quickly before Finch could speak, "Listen. I'm going to try my best. No matter what happens I'll find a way home. You know how much I love you and why I could never let you go. That's why I have to do this. In a few weeks you won't even be able to run and I don't want to say this and it breaks my heart but I am stronger than you. Maybe not mentally but physically. I will do this for you father and mother."

Finch suddenly looked incredibly confused and frowned, "I don't understand..."

I carried on as only about a minute was left, " You have always been the one that everyone can't help instantly loving. Your so beautiful and kind and you don't even realize it. Your innocence is one of the things that makes you so and I'm not going to sit at home and watch such a sweet and caring person be put through hell."

"Ember what are you even talking about?!" she said staring desperately into my eyes, panicking.

I heard the door open as the peacekeepers called that the time was up and I broke away from her and left a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I love you and always will. No matter what happens I promise I will come home. I'm sorry but letting you go in the games would hurt me more than my death," as I pushed her into the peacekeepers and they herded her out the door she finally got it.

"No Ember! No!" she began to scream and the tears that streamed down her face and the desperation was clear in her voice and eyes, her hand reached out towards me.

The door was slammed shut and the realization and relief hit me both at the same time. I slumped down on the couch with my head in my hands. Although I couldn't speak for myself, at least now Finch would be safe. I couldn't of let her go into the games and us looking exactly the same no one would ever know what I had done. Except the ones who could tell us apart, however they were only the people closet to us.

It was a few more seconds before the doors opened and a few peacekeepers approached me telling me it was time to depart from the building and go on the train to the Capitol. I was almost surprised when no one started to punish me for breaking the hunger games rules yet I suppose no one but my sister and father would realize that it wasn't the right tribute standing in front of them.

Once before I had been inside of the large vehicle that was known as a car, another way of transport like the train that involved not walking. The vision is really blurred considering I was so young at the time but I was told that it had to do with me being a witness to an old man we called surly sarge killing his fellow neighbors and putting human flesh into his stews.

Unlike how I thought it would be, there were surprisingly no crowds or cameras around as I was led roughly through some tall doors that led out of the back of the building and into the massive metal contraption.

I slid in next to Rufus, not even giving a glance in his direction. He was either going to kill me in a few weeks or die himself so I saw no point in getting any closer than the meter I sat away from him now. The door slammed as soon as I got in but the engine did not start yet.

The seat was a rough black leather and had a row opposite that could hold three people just like the worn row that Rufus and I sat uncomfortably upon.

The car door opened yet another time as Patricia hopped in, squishing into the seat opposite us in the middle. Her knee clashed a little with mine on the way in and I recoiled defensively as if she were an infected unearthly being. Another glance back up at her hair made me actually begin to believe that that theory wasn't entirely impossible.

Her smile was stretched too tightly over her shining white teeth as she began to speak to us, stopping at the end to pat me on the cheek, "Oh how delightful! You'll need a little work done but not much on those eyes, dear! They're a real killer!"

Rufus just stared at her and I shuffled a little closer to the window and asked without looking at her, "Are you a stylist?"

She seemed quite baffled at that, "Well no but as you can see by my clothes I do quite consider myself my own kind of st-"

I held up a hand and heard her become quiet, "Then don't ever touch me again. Especially not with the hand that is the reason why I am here."

Patricia began to stumble a bit as she tried to get a word out but later decided on saying nothing.

I could feel Rufus' eyes staring at me in shock but I didn't care at all. I wasn't here to make attachments with people, especially the person who had called my sister name. This whole thing could still go wrong if anyone found out that Finch Markison wasn't actually here. I swallowed my fear and braced myself for the worst as the car drove.


	5. A Surprising Concept

After a considerable amount of time the car stopped at the bottom of some steps.

Hopping out first a thought crossed my mind and I had a spilt second to decide how to present myself.

Walking through a small tunnel we emerged into an area with so many cameras I almost stopped right there.

I was mistaken in thinking the people so longing to catch a glimpse of district 5's tributes would have been waiting before when we entered the car. The noise now was overwhelming and horrific compared to the cold quietness of before.

Yet I did not falter again, instead pushing the peacekeepers hands away from me and striding slightly ahead towards the doors of what I assumed was the train considering that's where a path through the people was cleared.

I held my head higher confidently and flicked my hair off of my shoulders as I winked directly into the sea of cameras that clicked rapidly.

My smile was cunning as I turned my focus from the flashing lights to the train.

Walking through doors, we were led around the interior of the train, and I let my act down a little for my own sake, glad to have escaped the claustrophobic feeling washing over me. Patrica on the other hand rushed off in a different direction, giving a brief nod before retreating.

I turned to a baffled Rufus who could not stop staring at me and crossed my arms over my chest, "what's your problem?"

"MY problem? You suddenly switched from a I like to kill small innocent children mode to flirting with the cameras!" he burst out flinging his arms around like he was trying to hit once of the silent people standing beside him.

The pale girl made a sound and dodged, brown doe eyes momentarily wide and startled until a moment later she blushed and looked down apologetically.

It was then I decided I was not much of a fan of this boy.

"It's called a strategy Rufus. If you keep using that one I'm sure it'll be VERY affective in the games," I gestured to his whirling arms sarcastically, and began to walk, leaving him to cease his absurd movements and stare after me astonished once again.

The innocent looking girl beside me was soon at my side and I noticed by the robes she wore that she too, like my mother, was an avox.

We approached a door that she opened for me and I smiled at her, thanking her even though I knew it was just a job.

She nodded in return and instantly I felt sympathy towards her and distinguished an apparent bond that I actually wouldn't mind having with her if only it was permitted.

I looked around the room, slipping off the shoes I had on and feeling the plush carpet beneath me in pleasure with my toes. Everything about the room was expensive and luxurious looking an although I felt slightly out of place I could not ignore the comfort presented in the room.

I knew that in a thousand lifetimes I could not afford something as perfectly styled as the furniture and other accessories in the room.

There were a set of draws in a dressing area I pulled out to find silk and a variety of soft different textures of fabrics that had been handcrafted into beautiful clothes. I grab a pair of trousers that are alike the ones I wear now and a midnight blue blouse at random to match it, shutting the draw and quickly changing as the girl turned her back to me.

When I was done I walked over to the bed, the spread was a light blue and I sat down on it before looking up to see the avox girl standing beside another door, awaiting my presence.

I got up and looked at her curiously as she opened the door and walked in, gesturing for me to come in.

She pointed to a complicated looking glass box that was lined with many buttons. I realized it was a type of shower and that the girl was most likely trying to teach me how to use it.

But as she pulled me in to show me how to work the buttons I realized that that was not her intention.

Instead of pointing to the buttons she began to make a series of hand movements that I recognized instantly.

My eyes widened as the girl used my families hand speech we'd created for talking to my mother right before my shocked eyes.

* * *

A/N: MUHAHAHAHAHA! There you go, you thought that I would upload without even an authors note! Oh well that's too bad my poor old dears ;( No... That word has never seemed quite right to me :P Chickens. Yesh you are chickens, of course! My poor old chickens! D; Oh wait... How awkward if you're stunningly rich you know, like the Queen-NO! OH GOSH! Me and the queen have too much history! We absolutely WON'T bring up her in here! *confused? Yeah I get that a lot, read my bio XD* Anyway I simply can NOT call you poor if it is a lie! Hmmm... Hey! Wanna know what you get when you cross the queen and a deer?! QUEER 3 So you are all queer chickens! YESH! WHOOP! Oh... I must stop now! Apologies for such short chapters, my friends ;) I wrote these before I started making every chapter I wrote at least 5 pages :P BAII 3

...My Queer Chickens 3


	6. The Avoxs' Secrets

Only my sister, mother, father, Felexis and me knew how to communicate with it.

Although it had been a long duration of time since I last used it, I interpreted it easily and began to pick it back up again as I gave her the signal that I understood.

The first thing I asked her was why she was REALLY in the bathroom, and we were standing in a shower together. I could practically see Patricia coming in and seeing us, causing her to go completely insane and have some sort of seizure.

The slender girl replied that there were camera's possible of finding out we were communicating so it was safer in the bathroom where we'd be unseen. TA secret hand speech would be too suspicious and lead to accusations of rebellion.

The word was some of the Avoxs' actually HAD begun to rebel and that the president had them tortured publicly until they bled to death.

For a few seconds I was actually about to pursue that topic further until realizing that my curiousity and enthusiasm which I had no idea was there, would be far enough to get me in danger.

So instead I buried myself in the information of the girls words.

The language had been spread all throughout panem now and if the Capitol were to find out that the Avox's had a way of communication they all could very well be slaughtered.

The girl added quickly that especially my mother who was the one who started this in the first place.

I felt a small feeling of pride in me that she had done that, that made me glad to be her daughter as the ebony haired girl continued.

The avox girl was actually not as young as I thought she would be, at an age of 17 years old. Her name was Alsana and her original district was 4 before she'd wound up here for being in an accident that that led to her inability to speak at a young age. She had been accused as an escaped type Avox (not believing she had not been surgically altered) and her father and two brothers had been punished greatly for it.

I told her my story and who I was really and what I had done for Finch. This shocked her a little and a choking sound came from her throat, as her eyes widened in horror. She desperately looked at me with her big dark eyes in horror and moved her fingers quicker. Alsana was afraid for me and was worried that if I wasn't careful I would be injured. The Capitol hated even the slightest bit of defiance and would take my act of love for my sister the wrong way.

I asked her of my mother who apparently was on this very train and was trying to sneak her way to visit me now.

Then, just like I had cursed us for thinking the thoughts at the start of our conversation, the lady herself came right on in.

All of a sudden we were interrupted by a knocking on the door and it opened as Patricia came in, walking into the room and stopping mid sentence as she saw Alsana and me, "What on earth are you doing in there? You must NEVER talk to A-" she choked "-an Avox! It's strictly forbidden! Do you want-"

I cut her off quickly, "calm down! She was just showing how to work this cause I had no clue how to, okay?"

Beneath her eyes though I thought I saw a flicker of fear mixed with her apparent outrage, leaving me no time to question her stumbling reaction and insight to why she even cared what happened to me, "Well everyone's waiting for you in the dining area. You would be best to go now."


	7. Felexis' Entrance & Patricia's Depart

I reluctantly gave Alsana a thank you as goodbye that did not seem too suspicious and walked out behind Patrica, whose heels were clacking as the carpet smoothed out into a wooden surface or something remotely similar.

I gave another quick glance to Alsana who was biting her lip as another avox approached her and they took a separate turn to us.

The door up ahead had another man standing in front of it, and he opened it in silence. I imagined what it would be like to be him doing his job and getting nothing in return. I wished there was some way I could make it up to him. However my thoughts were interrupted when the smell of food reached my nose.

I looked up to see a massive dining table where plate after plate of food was stacked up high upon the wooden table. Rufus' head was just visible over the mountain of food and his chewing was loud enough to be mistaken for a dogs. Patricia's eyes were narrowed in distaste and I knew she was holding back from telling him off.

Even the walls and silverware upon the table looked more expensive than the price of all the clothes I owned added up. The room itself was more fancy then my own room and the room where I last saw Finch put together.

I tried to ignore the pain that pierced my chest at the thought of her.

Slowly I walked over to the table and sat down, not eating anything yet and giving a glance at the empty plate then at the pile before beginning to tentatively reach for a small warm roll in a basket.

When no one yelled at me and Patrica sat down next to Rufus and began to eat from a bowl filled with a chunky type of stew served by an avox I bit into it a little, deciding it was safe.

It was amazing, the melted butter and salted crust of the bread complimented each others flavours. Inside of it as I concentrated on the taste more I picked up the individuality of different types of herbs so cleverly concealed within.

Patricia was in the middle of just convincing Rufus to eat with his knife and fork when suddenly someone pulled out a chair beside me, "Are you really salivating over a roll when you have all this other deliciousness in front of you?"

My first reflex was to reach for him and let myself be comforted by his strong arms but that isn't what Finch would do.

Felexis.

I knew that if I even looked up at him he'd know who I was and he could tell us apart and pick out differences when to others it would be like trying to find a slightly different colour grain of sand on the beach.

I did not look up at him and carefully hoped he wasn't looking at my hair because although it was only by a few centimeters, I had longer hair than Finch did.

I couldn't look up at him cause just a quick inspection of my eyes flecked with darker green specks would alert him. A glimpse of my lips that are slightly fuller than my sisters... My small number of lightly dusted freckles over my nose and cheeks... It could all be ruined cause he never missed a detail.

Yet I couldn't just remain silent so I quickly murmured something hopefully unrecognizable enough and hid my face behind my hair, nibbling on the roll nervously, "I wasn't sure if I was allowed to eat anything."

I reached for a glass with my free hand that someone had poured without my notice and drank a bit so I could attempt to satisfy the dryness of my throat.

He noticed something was up by the way I was distancing myself from him but god bless him did not react in front of the others, shooting back rather dramatically, "I was actually referring to the mouthwatering-ness of myself."

I meanwhile still had the glass of the bubbling sweet liquid in my mouth and was not prepared. I choked a bit on it and almost spat it back out before just managing to swallow it.

"That's not even a word," I pointed out quietly, trying not to laugh I went back to eating the roll in my hands and still taking refuge under my curtain of hair.

Suddenly the plate in front of me was switched for one piled with food and I jumped a little. A mixture of sweet and savory dishes were divided up on the plate.

Then as he was always looking on the bright side of life, he said with cheer, "May as well eat everything whilst your here and alive seeing as it could be the last, you know?"

I made a point not to respond to him.

"You know if you're not going to eat I'll have to force you," Felexis pushed it a little closer in front of me, waiting for me to make a move until he was spoken to by Patricia.

"Rufus this is Felexis Rellkun, remember? Felexis meet Rufus Furow one of this years tributes," Patricia introduced Rufus who with a mouth full of food blurted out a hello along with something that splattered on the table.

I quickly glanced up from my hair and at Felexis who was giving Rufus a strange look, "Pleasure to meet you. You better get that. Patricia doesn't fancy gravy on her beloved mahogany too much. I would shake your hand but taking a look at the state of how greasy and gravy covered your knife and fork are I don't think it would be very pleasant. Well actually I lied. It's not actually very pleasurable to meet you. I mean you have the chance of dying in the next few weeks so it's actually kind of isn't a pleasure to meet you."

Rufus seemed to be in a state of shock and more food was dropping out of his gaping mouth, "It's very thoughtful of you to catch flies for us but I haven't seen many around the train so I think you can close that."

He was still just staring so Felexis reached over and shut the bottom of his jaw, "Or I could do it."

I think Patricia was as amused as I was because she made a noise which of course led her to cover her mouth with a napkin and blame it on a cough.

Felexis receded to his chair and began to cut up a piece of crisp square that seemed like meat, covered with a creamy looking slightly yellow sauce that was topped with a single mint leaf.

Patricia cleared her throat to break the silence and when she began to introduce me she was cut off.

"I already know her. Have for years Trish. Calm your farm. Wait you live in the Capital, hmm. Your wig. Calm you wig. Yes that'll do," Felexis shrugged then began to babble on as Patricia huffed about not only her 'wig' matter but at the way Felexis abbreviated her name.

"I spent a long time growing these curls Felexis. I would never dare buy a wig to hide the magnificent beauty of them!" Patrica gasps and I watch in content and grab the silver spoon in front of me, slipping a small proportion into my mouth of some kind of rice made from different grains and drenched in a dark sauce whilst no one is paying attention to me.

I did not have quite the words to describe it but I thought it about as magnificent as Patricia thinks her fake curls are. A damn lot.

Plump chunks of meat I presumed was lamb were hidden amongst the dish that was tender and juicy in my mouth, making me appreciate the idea of Felexius' words more clearly.

I have at hand an unlimited supply of food so why not try to consume the amount of food I usually eat in a year, all in the short amount of time it took to reach where I'd be prepared for death?

I actually found that plan pretty pleasant enough so I set to work, sampling the different dishes and trying various looking exotic meals I'd never had before, all the while watching Felexis bicker back and forth with Patricia.

Rufus had finally gotten over his shock and was back to eating everything again, this time with his hands again as Patricia was too busy to snap at him.

I knew straight away that he was just stirring her up and her face was getting redder by the second as Felexius stayed laid back in his chair with an unchanging sarcastic demeanor.

Ten minutes later Patricia's voice had raised up a few tones and had risen in her chair, stalking around the other side of the table until she's right beside Felexis almost shrieking. He on the other hand smirked and stroke out at the top of her wig, knocking it forward and onto the table of food.

"I rest my case Patsie," he taunts, twirling around his fork in a dish I've had only once and vaguely remember as spaghetti as she gasped.

I almost let a small chuckle slip until I saw the look of terror in her eyes as natural long black curls cascaded around her face and down past her shoulders.

For a minute I begin to draw a resemblance between her and someone else but I just can't figure it out.

I don't get another second to study her because she's already up and fleeing away from us, the wig -covered with what I assumed was mashed potatoes- gripped tightly in her arms.

I stared after her, envisioning still her eyes holding so much terror that I began to feel slightly afraid myself.

I hear Felexis chuckle at her and turn towards me, but I was not prepared and his eyes met mine.

I was held there a few seconds by those shimmering gemstones, unable to hide my face before his realized.

Then he immediately stopped laughing and his whole expression hardened.


	8. Willing To Die

I knew I'd been caught out by the look in his eyes.

I tried to act like nothing had happened, soon going back to finishing the plate of food I had.

Feeling his gaze on me I quickly stood up and excused myself lamely, "I couldn't eat another bite. I'll see you both in the morning, I trust."

I'd just made it out of the dining room doors and a little way away from my room when his body slammed into mine, hands pushing mine against the wall either side of my head as he pinned me there.

My heart was hammering, beating just as quick as his and I was sure he'd be able to hear it through my chest.

His voice was low as he whispered and his eyes were burning, his warm breath was on my lips as he held me there, "why?"

Why. Not how, when or where but why. In that word I understood just how much he really cared, and it drowned me in guilt.

"I couldn't let her go, Fel. I just couldn't. You know I have a better chance of coming home. If it means she gets to live out her last moments at home I'm willing to d-" I began to explain, voice shaking and startling a little when he cut me off.

"Well I'm not. I'm not willing to let you die," he released me from the pressure against the wall and placed his hands either side of my face, gentle compared to the roughness of before.

Suddenly I'm angered, stepping back from his hands and putting my own on my hips, "So you would be okay with letting Finch die?"

He takes a step back too in horror, as if the thought would be too much, which in my case it was, "just because I won the hunger games could not make me so cold hearted, Ember."

He recovered, moving closer towards me, although I held my ground, "Losing Finch would have been awful but now I could lose you both. Em... If they find out not only you get punished but Finch and your father. The Capitol is ruthless."

I freeze, finally understanding what the penalties for my actions could be. My life, Finch's AND my fathers...

"I don't... I didn't... Oh god," I began to shake, bringing my shaking hands to cover my eyes.

He pulled me into his embrace that I'd so missed since last seeing him, and I treasured it gratefully. There wasn't many people like him in the world and I wasn't planning on letting him go.

"It's okay. You're going to come back home. You've just got to promise me you won't do anything outrageous," he murmured softly against the top of my head, where he pressed his lips to my temple.

"Only if you promise me you'll look after my family when I die, " I demanded right back, challenging him to accept.

He lifts my chin up with a finger so I meet his eyes that burn with determination, "Then I can't because I refuse to believe for a second that when I wake up one day you wont be in my world."

I snort still grinning at him, using humour to steer away from anything too deep and personal, "you're stubborn you know that right?"

"Really? Coming from YOU?" he chuckled raising an eyebrow and pointing at me.

"Pfft. Whatever. Besides. Like you could stop me from doing something outrageous anyway," I laugh, pushing back from him as a lone robed figure walked down the hall behind us.

They stopped behind me and I turned to the avox who stood a foot taller than myself, their head was lowered and a tray held in their hands that carried a silver jug, pot and two crystal containers filled with sugar and a brown powder in the other.

"Are you here to take me to my quarters?" I asked quietly, not wanting to sound demanding or like I did not appreciate their effort.

A small nod was given and what I assumed was a she led the way to my door, Felexis and me trailing behind her and occasionally bickering mockingly at times with each other.

It was just as well she was escorting me seeing as I had completely forgot where I was staying anyway.

When we got to the door the avox opened it and held the door back as she waited for me to say farewell to Felexis and walk in.

"Ah so this is where you're staying, I'll keep this in mind," my best friend winked at me, ducking in for a quick kiss on my cheek and walking off down the corridor.

"And I'll keep in mind to lock my door," I smirked after him, holding my hand to my cheek and slipping into the room, the door of which was soon shut behind me.

**~Here, a random badly written chappie for you! ;)~**


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